Another ninja poem pulled from my notebooks. They’ve been on my mind ever since that night at Lou Lou’s and our short stint in the ghoul-ninja’s Tokyo graveyard headquarters.

A Ghost Reflects on the Ninja

That night when the frogs were singing
the nightingale floor* went wild.
its creak-tweet warning us
of trouble in tabi afoot.

No one ignored it,
but we were too slow.
Assassins entered our bedrooms,
ushering in death.

It is true their swords, like water,
reflected the lanterns’ false moonlight,
but we knew it was darkness that skewered us,
throats smiling in silence
as shadows leaked in
and the frogs continued to sing.

—Erin Orison, DEAD LOVE/the Daily Slice

*Nijo Castle in Kyoto has a “nightingale floor.” The floor is suspended in a way that allows it to move up and down over the fixing nails when someone walks on it. The nails rubbing against the wood produce a “singing” sound. It was the security system to warn of intruders. In the case above, it was useless against the speed of the ninja.

Shrine photo by LWMC, courtesy of LWMC

boldlow

Hey Erin – thanks for putting another poem up. You're onto something here — I trust the muses are alive and well in the Temples of Tokyo – be sure to visit often!